New Zealand 448 for 5 at lunch: Ryder in sight of double century (lead)

Napier, March 27 (IANS) Stocky Jesse Ryder is nine runs short of his first double century as New Zealand took their first-innings score to 448 for five by lunch on the second day of the second cricket Test against India here at McLean Park Friday. Resuming at 137, with New Zealand 351 for four, Ryder moved to the third highest score by New Zealander against India as he got to 191, surpassing 185 by former captain and India coach John Wright who played a major role in moulding him as an international cricketer.

Ryder, who had bailed out his side in the company of Ross Taylor (151) with a record 271-run fourth-wicket partnership Thursday when New Zealand were at a precarious 23 for three, added 121 runs with James Franklin for the fifth to put the side in a commanding position.

Ryder, seen essentially as a pinch-hitting bits-and-pieces One-Day player, showed enormous concentration by batting for eight hours to prove his temperament. He showed his defence is as tight to back his free-flowing strokes.

Ryder cracked 23 fours and a six in his 307-ball knock, driving on the offside with authority.

The only way he could have been out was run out and he was lucky to get away twice. Once when he backed up too much in a bid to help Taylor get to his hundred and then this morning Franklin almost got him out when he was on 147.

Ryder, who scored his maiden Test hundred in the first Test, will be the 11th New Zealand batsman to hit a double century and the first since Stephen Fleming’s 262 against South Africa at Cape Town three years ago.

When Ryder got past Ross Taylor’s 151, two New Zealand batsmen scored 150 plus in the same innings of a Test after five years. Scott Styris and Chris Cairns scored 150-plus each against South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland.

Franklin, 26 overnight, batted with a lot more assurance than he did on the first day, to take his score to 52 before he ran himself out after occupying the crease for a shade over three hours, facing 122 balls. He hit seven fours.